School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Senegal
Senegal: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5.13 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
5.13 years
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
164th
of 218 countries
All-time high
5.32 years
in 2011
All-time low
2.2 years
in 1972
Years of data
51
1971–2024
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Senegal, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Senegal is 5.13 years, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Senegal peaked at 5.32 years in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.2 years, in 1972.
Senegal ranks 164th of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Senegal, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 2.2 years | — |
| 1972 | 2.2 years | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 2.24 years | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 2.28 years | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 2.29 years | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 2.24 years | -2.1% |
| 1977 | 2.4 years | +7.2% |
| 1978 | 2.44 years | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 2.49 years | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 2.54 years | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 2.61 years | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 2.7 years | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 2.85 years | +5.4% |
| 1984 | 2.97 years | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 3.06 years | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 3.06 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 3.06 years | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 3.17 years | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 3.16 years | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 3.18 years | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 3.14 years | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 3.18 years | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 3.11 years | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 3.23 years | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 3.25 years | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 3.49 years | +7.5% |
| 1997 | 3.73 years | +6.7% |
| 1998 | 3.95 years | +6.0% |
| 1999 | 3.91 years | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 4.13 years | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 4.23 years | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 4.38 years | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 4.56 years | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 4.82 years | +5.6% |
| 2005 | 4.95 years | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 4.94 years | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 5.15 years | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 5.18 years | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 5.16 years | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 5.15 years | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 5.32 years | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 5.28 years | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 5.14 years | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 5.2 years | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 5.15 years | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 5.01 years | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 5.1 years | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 5.05 years | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 5.12 years | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 5.13 years | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 5.13 years | -0.1% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 5.13 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.02 years, 85% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 5.13 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.13 years, 84% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.31 years | 2.2 years | 2.49 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.92 years | 2.54 years | 3.17 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.42 years | 3.11 years | 3.95 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.75 years | 4.13 years | 5.18 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.18 years | 5.01 years | 5.32 years | 7 |
| 2020s | 5.1 years | 5.05 years | 5.13 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 161 Liechtenstein 5.15 years compare
- 162 Italy 5.14 years compare
- 163 British Virgin Islands 5.13 years compare
- 165 Ethiopia 5.1 years compare
- 166 Solomon Islands 5.05 years compare
- 167 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.04 years compare
More education data for Senegal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 55,703 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,252 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 162,919 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 181,550 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.28 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4401 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.127 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Senegal?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Senegal was 5.13 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 5.32 years in 2011.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2 years in 1972.
- How does Senegal rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Senegal ranks 164th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release